Growing Minds and Spirits Together: Chocolate University Students Bring New Learning Resources to Nkeso Primary School in Mababu, Tanzania
by Melissa Gelner
This July, our Chocolate University High School Immersion students embarked on more than a journey across the globe—they carried with them the tools of collaboration, creativity, and service. The group of 15 high school students was divided into project teams, each leading a community project benefitting the rural cocoa farming village of Mababu, Tanzania.
The CU students designed new learning materials to build language and math skills across all grade levels with a focus on sparking curiosity and joy for learning among students and teachers.
A Growing School with Deep Roots
The Nkeso School is a young and vibrant primary and preschool. Founded in 2018 by the Mababu Cocoa Farmer Cooperative and officially opening its doors to students in January 2020, it is now entering its fifth year of classes. The school has grown to serve 110 students from the surrounding village with capacity for 175-200. This growth reflects both the community’s commitment to education and the school’s reputation as a safe, nurturing place for children to learn and thrive.
Strengthening Classrooms and Lessons
CU students orchestrated the launch of new classroom resources through teacher training and hands-on, play-based learning, thoughtfully designed with lesson plans and usage instructions. These materials spanned from preschool (Chekechea) through Class 5—covering essential areas like early literacy, English language reading tools, and age-appropriate math. By doing so, the students reinforced the school’s existing lesson plans while also modeling creative, student-centered approaches to improved engagement.
Vanessa Smith, one of our CU students, shared: “When I was working with the children, showing them the classroom games I created, it was such a confirmation that I really am supposed to be a primary school teacher. I needed that confirmation, and this experience is such a blessing to me.”
Inspiring Movement and Play
Learning doesn’t end at the classroom door. CU students also invested in projects that promoted gross motor and fine motor skills for younger children. From refurbishing playground equipment to painting a bright new hopscotch game on the sidewalk, they left behind tangible reminders that movement and play are essential to learning.
Headmaster Baraka Mwangalaba expressed appreciation for this work as well: “We thank you for facilitating the visit of the CU students and especially for their generous contribution in building play equipment for the children. This development has brought great joy and excitement to the school compound, where the children are now playing and learning with happiness.”
Several CU students echoed this joy. “The kids had the greatest impact on my life. They all had so much joy and generosity. It is something I really want to embody more in my life,” said Chase Haustein. Similarly, Cadence Gelner reflected, “Playing with the kids had the greatest impact to me. They have so much joy and curiosity. They love to share. Inspired me to find more ways to work with children.”
A Shared Legacy of Learning
The impact of this project extends far beyond the 30+ tangible lesson resources or the bright colors of a sidewalk game. It is about partnership—students from Springfield working hand-in-hand with Tanzanian teachers to create sustainable, practical tools for learning. It is about inspiration and engagement—reminding every child in the school that learning can be active, joyful, and shared.
For some of our own CU travelers, the experience was truly life-shaping. Vanessa Smith returned home more committed than ever to pursue early childhood education. She is now exploring how she might one day return to Sub-Saharan Africa to serve in another village school. Her journey is a reminder that our program doesn’t just impact the communities we visit; it also transforms the hearts and futures of our own students.
As I watched both groups—our CU travelers and the Nkeso school community—lean into the process together, I was struck by the spirit of kujengana, to build each other up. This is the essence of Chocolate University.
